Regular verb
The verb to open
open → opened → opened
A2Meaning: to make something not closed; to start working, for a shop · Type: regular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
open / opens - Past Simple:
opened - Past participle:
opened - -ing form:
opening
Conjugation of the verb to open
Present Simple
| I | open |
| You | open |
| He / She / It | opens |
| We | open |
| You (pl.) | open |
| They | open |
Past Simple
| I | opened |
| You | opened |
| He / She / It | opened |
| We | opened |
| You (pl.) | opened |
| They | opened |
All the forms of the verb to open
Present Simple
Full pageopen / opens
“The shop opens at 9.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are opening
“I am opening the window right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageopened
“I opened the door.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were opening
“I was opening the window when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has opened
“I have already opened the window.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad opened
“She had already opened the window when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill open
“I will open the window tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to open
“I'm going to open the window this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould open
“I would open the window if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to open
1. Opening something
- Open the door.
2. Open up (talking about your feelings)
Open up to someone means to talk to them about your feelings.
- She opened up to me.
A common mistake
1. Open-minded: a positive word
Open-minded (adjective) means ready to listen to new ideas. People see it as a very good quality.
Going further
Conjugating to open is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
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Practise on PLAYYou can conjugate to open. Now say it out loud.
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For teachersReady-made activities to practise to open in class
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of open?+
Opened. Open is a regular verb: just add -ed. The past participle is also opened.
Is it the door is open or the door is opened?+
The door is open uses open as an adjective: it describes the state of the door. The door was opened by John is the passive: it describes an action. In most cases, use open to describe the state.
What does open up mean?+
Open up has two meanings. (1) To open a shop or a business. (2) To talk about your feelings and your private life: She opened up about her past.
What is a job opening?+
A job opening is a free job: a company is looking for someone to do it. There's a job opening at the bank. Another word for it is vacancy.
What does open-minded mean?+
Open-minded (adjective) describes someone who listens to new ideas and accepts people who are different. It is a very positive word. The opposite is narrow-minded.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/open
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.